


Test Flight

by AnonEhouse



Series: Tiny Tony 'verse [6]
Category: Iron Man (Comic), Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Daddy Issues, Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-18
Updated: 2012-03-18
Packaged: 2017-11-02 04:06:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/364792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnonEhouse/pseuds/AnonEhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is nine. Tony is bored. Tony just wants to spread his wings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Test Flight

(If you are reading this on any PAY site this is a STOLEN WORK, the author has NOT Given Permission for it to be here. If you're paying to read it, you're being cheated too because you can read it on Archiveofourown for FREE.)

Rhodey's dad is great. He doesn't mind Rhodey and Tony hanging around while he preps one of the Pitts Specials Dad bought a few weeks ago. He explains what he's doing and Tony doesn't _once_ say that he already knows all that, or mention that he's built his own flight simulator in the basement. They sit around in the hangar, drinking Cokes and eating stale sandwiches from the vending machine, smelling oil and the nose-tickling scent of aviation fuel, hearing the sounds of mechanics dropping wrenches and occasionally saying things that Tony and Rhodey both remember for future use. Tony is wearing grease-stained Levis and a torn t-shirt and since this is a military base where he's really, really not in danger of anyone grabbing him to sell to his father, his bodyguard has the day off whenever Tony is here. It's like being just any normal kid. He loves it.

The Special is _gorgeous_ , with the beauty of a machine superbly designed to do just one thing, and do that one thing perfectly. It's been painted red, white and blue, and is going to be part of an acrobatic display in Washington DC, another of the Bicentennial events being held all over the country. Dad's busy with a lot of important things that involve the military, of course. The Pitts Specials are just for fun. 

"All done," Rhodey's dad announces, wiping his hands on a shop rag before he closes and latches the engine cowling. "I'm going to take her up for a few touch-and-gos. You boys can watch from the reviewing stand."

"Aw, Dad, you always let me come up with you for stuff like this," Rhodey says.

"Yeah, well, I don't have permission to take Tony up."

"Oh." Rhodey looks at Tony. "His dad wouldn't mind."

"Yes, he would," Tony says, looking down to kick at an empty tool bucket. "He never wants me to have any fun."

"Hey," Rhodey's dad gets down on one knee and puts a hand on Tony's shoulder. "Your dad loves you. He just doesn't want anything to happen to you."

"Sure." Tony doesn't even try to sound like he means it. "But just because I can't go doesn't mean Rhodey can't go." Tony really doesn't want Rhodey to miss out, too.

Rhodey shakes his head. "No. If you can't go, then I'm not going." He punches Tony in the shoulder in a friendly way. Tony only staggers a bit. "Hey, you've got your fancy camera with you, right? We'll get pictures of my dad flying. That'll be cool."

Tony cheers up a bit at that. His new camera is awesome. "All right."

They watch the Pitts Special taxi out to the main runway. Tony loads a new roll of thirty-six exposures and locks the custom-made telephoto onto his camera. The lens is heavy and keeps making the camera dip down and shake, so he's sorry he hadn't brought along the tripod, but he takes a couple snaps anyway. He tries not to breathe and to squeeze the shutter in between heartbeats. He's not really sure you can actually do that, but that's what it said in the Canon AE-1 manual. "I can't get a clear shot from here," Tony says once the Pitts is in the air. "Let's go out onto the tarmac." He doesn't wait for Rhodey to agree before he leaves the reviewing bench and walks out in between the rest of the Pitts Specials. Most of them are tied down, but the first in line has been unchocked, ready to be moved into the hangar for prepping once the first one's passed Rhodey's tests.

"Hey, give me a leg up!" Tony thinks he can get a better angle by standing on the wing. Rhodey helps Tony scramble onto the wing. 

"Can you see my dad?" Rhodey is reaching up with a hand on the back of Tony's leg to help balance him. "Oh, man, what did you step in?"

Tony looks down and sees black, tarry, footprints on the wing. "Um... it'll wash off. I hope."

"Take the picture, quick, and then let's get out of here before we get caught."

Tony thinks this is a very sensible idea, but the stupid telephoto drags the lens down so he's looking at the access road instead of the sky. A car is coming. It's a very familiar convertible, with the top down, being driven by a very familiar face, set in very familiar lines of anger. The telephoto makes it look as if that scowl is six inches away. "Oh, CRAP, my dad's here!"

"What? Get down, Tones! Come on!" Rhodey grabs at Tony's leg.

Tony shakes Rhodey off and climbs into the cockpit in a panic. "No! Tell him I'm not here, I ran away to join the circus!"

"Tony!" Dad is yelling.

Someone's left the key dangling in the ignition. Tony isn't thinking about anything except getting away. He turns the key, and flips all the switches and stuff. The engine roars to life. He can hear Rhodey yelling, and a car screeching to a halt and his father shouting, and oh, no, he's not going to be here for that. Tony stretches his foot down and slams it onto the foot control, jerking at the stick at the same time. He's half buried behind the console trying to control everything-- he _knows_ what to do, but it's all set too far apart. The plane waggles its tail and starts moving, bouncing jerkily along the apron. He has enough sense not to go towards the taxi-way. The narrow strip beside it is meant for service vehicles, but the Pitts isn't a large plane, so it sort of fits. He stretches further, trying to remember the angle of the road since he can't see it and push the rudders at the same time. The plane suddenly tips up, and then slams down, still moving forward. Tony cracks his head on the console and bites his tongue, arms flailing in panic.

"TONY!" Dad sounds like he's gone completely crazy.

Dad is going to _KILL_ him, he's driven the Pitts Special into a drainage ditch. He scrambles out of the cockpit, intending to run and keep on running, but his foot hits the patch of sticky stuff, and he loses his balance and falls, but his foot is still stuck and he twists and his leg slams into the wing all bent wrong. And it hurts, it hurts so bad he can't help screaming.

And then Dad is there, and he's holding Tony. His face is wet. Tony wonders why. It's not raining. His head hurts, and his leg hurts and he really doesn't think he can stand it if Dad shouts at him. "Don't... yell at me." He's so dizzy, he closes his eyes, and tries not to throw up as Dad carries him very fast, jarring his leg and his head and everything goes dark.

***

Tony picks moodily at the cast on his right leg. Rhodey has drawn an excellent M-16 rifle the whole length of it, so he can lie in bed and pretend to be fighting bad guys, but it still itches, and he is SO BORED. He looks up as Jarvis enters his room with a bundle of clothes on hangers, and a suitcase.

"Am I going somewhere?" Tony has been good, really good, for a whole week. Partly because his leg was hurting and it was hard to think of anything he wanted to do. Dad came to see him once. He didn't say much, but at least he really looked at Tony. He gave him a neat game that sets up random mazes with magnets so you have to figure out the maze each time to find the treasure without being killed. Tony sometimes gets killed on purpose because he likes to hear the dragon roar.

"You have been enrolled in boarding school, Master Tony."

Tony blinks. "I don't go to school."

Jarvis opens the suitcase and begins neatly laying in the new clothes. The clothes all look the same, like some kind of uniform. "It is a very prestigious military school, with an excellent academic curriculum."

"But... how far away is it? Do I have to get up early in the morning to go?" Tony much prefers to stay up late. "How many days a week do I have to go?" Tony knew some sort of punishment was coming, but this seems too much. The plane wasn't _really_ damaged, after all.

"You will be living at the school." Jarvis doesn't look at Tony as he continues tucking ties and socks and underpants into the corners of the case. "That is what a boarding school is like."

"But... Rhodey... my experiments..." Tony doesn't mention his mom and dad. That would hurt too much.

"Your father has funded facilities and overseen the hiring of instructors to enable you to continue your studies." Jarvis closes the case and snaps it shut. He sits on the bed and strokes Tony's hair. "He wants you to have everything you need."

"He doesn't want me around." 

"He wants you to be safe, Tony."

"I'll be good! I promise. I won't get into any trouble, just, please, ask Dad to let me stay!" Tony buries his face against Jarvis's chest, fingers tight on the starched perfection of Jarvis's shirt.

Jarvis sighs. "No, Tony."

Tony's eyes are hot. "I have to go now?"

"Yes, the driver is waiting to take us to the plane. I will accompany you."

"Aren't Mom and Dad even going to say goodbye?"

Jarvis rubs Tony's back and doesn't answer.

**Author's Note:**

> I found a photo of Pitt's Acrobatic Planes.  
> [ Actually these are Pitts Special models, photoshopped into Washington DC.](http://www.yellowairplane.com/Pitts/Carlos_in_Washington.html)


End file.
